Hi, everyone:) I went shopping yesterday. I bought some winter fashion items: a coat, a muffler and a pair of gloves. I'm happy to buy them because it is so cold in Kyoto. Did you buy anything for this winter?:D
The Seventh Tuesday: We Talk About the Fear of Aging
Morrie lost his battle, he was dependent on others for nearly everything. Later that day, Morrie and Mitch talked about aging.
"Weren't you ever afraid to grow old?" Mitch asked.
"Mithch, I embrace aging." Morrie answered, "It's very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you've going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."
"Yes," Mitch said, "but if aging were so valuable, why do people always say 'Oh, if I were young again.' You never hear people say, 'I wish I were sixty-five.'"
Morrie smiled. "You know what that reflects? Unsatisfied lives. Unfulfilled lives. Lives that haven't found meaning. Because if you've found meaning in your life, you don't want to go back. You want to go forward. You want to see more, do more. You can't wait until sixty-five." Morrie continued, "You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And, age is not a competitive issue."
The Eight Tuesday: We Talk About Money
Mitch glanced around Morrie's study. It was the same today as it had been the first day he arrived. In fact, Morrie really hand't bought anything new except medical equipment in a long, long time, maybe years. The day Morrie learned that he was terminally ill was the day he lost interest in his purchasing power.
Morrie said, "Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness. I can tell you, as I'm sitting here dying, when you must need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you're looking for, no matter how much of them you have." And he continued, "Remember what I said about finding a meaningful life? I wrote it down, but now I can recite it: Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
I sympathized with the words that Morrie said "If you've found meaning in your life, you don't want to go back. You want to go forward. You want to see more, do more." I greatly admire his words every time.
2013年11月18日月曜日
2013年11月14日木曜日
Tuesdays with Morrie -- Week 8
Hi, everyone:) I went to see the movies ”Carrie” and ”Diana” with my friend lately. The former was very thrilling, but the latter was sad story. They are good movies, so I'd like to recommend them to you!
The Fifth Tuesday: We Talk About Family
It was the first week in September. Morrie and Mitch began to talk about family as usual.
"I think, in light of what we've been talking about all these weeks, family becomes even more important," Morrie said.
"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn't the family. It's become quite clear to me as I've been sick. If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all. Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden said, 'Love each other or perish.'"
"Love each pther or perish." Mitch wrote it down.
"Love each other or perish," Morrie said. "It's good, no? And it's true. Without love, we are birds with broken wings."
The Sixth Tuesday: We Talk About Emotions
The small horrors of his illness were growing, and when I sat down with Morrie, he was coughing more than usual.
"What I'm doing now," Morrie began to talk with his eyes closed, "is detaching myself from the experience."
"Detaching yourself?" Mitch asked.
"Yes. Detaching myself. And this is important not just for someone like me, who is dying, but for someone like you, who is perfectly healthy. Learn to detach." Morrie opened his eyes. He exhaled. "You know what the Buddishts say? Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent."
I'm always supproted by my family and friends. These Morrie's words remind me of many important things.
The Fifth Tuesday: We Talk About Family
It was the first week in September. Morrie and Mitch began to talk about family as usual.
"I think, in light of what we've been talking about all these weeks, family becomes even more important," Morrie said.
"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn't the family. It's become quite clear to me as I've been sick. If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all. Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden said, 'Love each other or perish.'"
"Love each pther or perish." Mitch wrote it down.
"Love each other or perish," Morrie said. "It's good, no? And it's true. Without love, we are birds with broken wings."
The Sixth Tuesday: We Talk About Emotions
The small horrors of his illness were growing, and when I sat down with Morrie, he was coughing more than usual.
"What I'm doing now," Morrie began to talk with his eyes closed, "is detaching myself from the experience."
"Detaching yourself?" Mitch asked.
"Yes. Detaching myself. And this is important not just for someone like me, who is dying, but for someone like you, who is perfectly healthy. Learn to detach." Morrie opened his eyes. He exhaled. "You know what the Buddishts say? Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent."
I'm always supproted by my family and friends. These Morrie's words remind me of many important things.
2013年11月7日木曜日
Tuesdays with Morrie -- Week 7
Hi, everyone:) Today I watched the movie ”Tuesdays with Morrie” at home. I was vey moved, so I'd like to recommend it to you.
The Third Tuesday: We Talk About Regrets
Mitch arrived with a Sony tape recorder because he wanted to remember what he and Morrie talk about. Morrie willingly accepted it. Mitch turned on the tape recorder and they started to discuss regrets.
The Fourth Tuesday: We Talk about Death
Here in Morrie's office, life went on one precious day at a time. Now Morrie and Mitch sat together, a few feet from the newest addition: an oxygen machine. It was small and portable, about knee-high.
"Everyone knows they're going to dye," Morrie said, "but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently."
"So we kid ourselves about death," Mitch said.
"Yes. But there's a better approach. To know you're going to die, and to prepare for it at any time. That's better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you're living," Morrie said.
"How can you ever be prepared to die?" Mitch asked.
"Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, 'Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?' " Morrie said, "The truth is, Mitch, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."
Mitch nodded.
These Morrie's words moved me deeply and I thought his idea about death was wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading next story!
The Third Tuesday: We Talk About Regrets
Mitch arrived with a Sony tape recorder because he wanted to remember what he and Morrie talk about. Morrie willingly accepted it. Mitch turned on the tape recorder and they started to discuss regrets.
The Fourth Tuesday: We Talk about Death
Here in Morrie's office, life went on one precious day at a time. Now Morrie and Mitch sat together, a few feet from the newest addition: an oxygen machine. It was small and portable, about knee-high.
"Everyone knows they're going to dye," Morrie said, "but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently."
"So we kid ourselves about death," Mitch said.
"Yes. But there's a better approach. To know you're going to die, and to prepare for it at any time. That's better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you're living," Morrie said.
"How can you ever be prepared to die?" Mitch asked.
"Do what the Buddhists do. Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, 'Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?' " Morrie said, "The truth is, Mitch, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."
Mitch nodded.
These Morrie's words moved me deeply and I thought his idea about death was wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading next story!
2013年11月5日火曜日
Tuesdays with Morrie -- Week 6
Hi, everyone:) I will update my blog frequently!
The First Tuesday: We Talk About the World
Morrie and Mitch sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by wicker chairs and they began to talk.
"Mitch, you asked about caring for people I don't even know. But can I tell you the things I'm learning most with this disease?" Morrie said.
"What's that?" Mitch asked.
Morrie said, "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." His voice dropped to a whisper. " Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love, we think if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, 'Love is the only rational act' "
The Second Tuesday: We Talk about Feeling Sorry for Yourself
Mitch came back the next Tuesday. Meanwhile, he looked for signs of the disease's progression. Morrie's fingers worked well enough to write with a pencil, or hold up his glasses, but he could not lift his arms much higher than his chest. He was spending less and less time in the kitchen or living room.
Mitch asked Morrie if he felt sorry for himself.
"Sometimes, in the mornings," Morrie said. "That's when I mourn. I feel around my body, I move my fingers and my handsーwhatever I can still moveーand I mourn what I've lost. I mourn the slow, insidious way in which I'm dying. But then I stop mourning."
"Just like that?" Mitch said.
"I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. On the people who are coming to see me. On the stories I'm going to hear. On youーif it's Tuesday. Because we're Tuesday people," Morrie said. "Mitch, I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each morning, a few tears, and that's all."
When Mitch helped lifting Morrie from the wheelchair to the recliner, he had the coldest realization that their time was runing out because Morrie's body was very weak. And he thought he had to do something.
These Morrie's words are sometimes difficult for me to understand, but these words reaches to my heart.
The First Tuesday: We Talk About the World
Morrie and Mitch sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by wicker chairs and they began to talk.
"Mitch, you asked about caring for people I don't even know. But can I tell you the things I'm learning most with this disease?" Morrie said.
"What's that?" Mitch asked.
Morrie said, "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." His voice dropped to a whisper. " Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love, we think if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, 'Love is the only rational act' "
The Second Tuesday: We Talk about Feeling Sorry for Yourself
Mitch came back the next Tuesday. Meanwhile, he looked for signs of the disease's progression. Morrie's fingers worked well enough to write with a pencil, or hold up his glasses, but he could not lift his arms much higher than his chest. He was spending less and less time in the kitchen or living room.
Mitch asked Morrie if he felt sorry for himself.
"Sometimes, in the mornings," Morrie said. "That's when I mourn. I feel around my body, I move my fingers and my handsーwhatever I can still moveーand I mourn what I've lost. I mourn the slow, insidious way in which I'm dying. But then I stop mourning."
"Just like that?" Mitch said.
"I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. On the people who are coming to see me. On the stories I'm going to hear. On youーif it's Tuesday. Because we're Tuesday people," Morrie said. "Mitch, I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each morning, a few tears, and that's all."
When Mitch helped lifting Morrie from the wheelchair to the recliner, he had the coldest realization that their time was runing out because Morrie's body was very weak. And he thought he had to do something.
These Morrie's words are sometimes difficult for me to understand, but these words reaches to my heart.
2013年11月4日月曜日
Tuesdays with Morrie -- Week 5
Hi, everyone:) Today is a national holiday, isn't? Nevertheless, we have to go to the college. I wanted to sleep more...
Now, I will write about next story.
Mitch arrived at Morrie's house. Morrie saw him and hugged him tightly. And Morrie whispered "My old friend, you've come back at last." Then Mitch remembered graduation day, Morrie's tears at Mitch's departure, and shallowed because he knew, deep down, that he was no longer the good, gift-bearing student Morrie's remembered.
Morrie said to Mitch. "You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying. I've become much more interesting to people. They see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of . . . in-between. I'm on the last great journey here and people want me to tell them what to pack."
And he also talked about his disease. " I'm going to suffocate. Yes. My lungs, because of my asthma, can't handle the disease. It's moving up my body, this ALS. It's already got my legs. Pretty soon it'll get my arms and hands. And when it hits my lungs . . . I'm sunk. I maybe have four or five months, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls."
Tuesday was a special day when Mitch was a college student. In fact, Tuesday had always been their day together. Most of Mitch's courses with Morrie were on Tuesdays, Morrie had office hours on Tuesdays. So when Mitch hugged Morrie good-bye, Morrie made a promise to come back and see him on Tuesday again.
This book is full of Morrie's wonderful words, so I'm looking forward to introducing them to you.
Now, I will write about next story.
Mitch arrived at Morrie's house. Morrie saw him and hugged him tightly. And Morrie whispered "My old friend, you've come back at last." Then Mitch remembered graduation day, Morrie's tears at Mitch's departure, and shallowed because he knew, deep down, that he was no longer the good, gift-bearing student Morrie's remembered.
Morrie said to Mitch. "You know, Mitch, now that I'm dying. I've become much more interesting to people. They see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of . . . in-between. I'm on the last great journey here and people want me to tell them what to pack."
And he also talked about his disease. " I'm going to suffocate. Yes. My lungs, because of my asthma, can't handle the disease. It's moving up my body, this ALS. It's already got my legs. Pretty soon it'll get my arms and hands. And when it hits my lungs . . . I'm sunk. I maybe have four or five months, but I am surrounded by loving, caring souls."
Tuesday was a special day when Mitch was a college student. In fact, Tuesday had always been their day together. Most of Mitch's courses with Morrie were on Tuesdays, Morrie had office hours on Tuesdays. So when Mitch hugged Morrie good-bye, Morrie made a promise to come back and see him on Tuesday again.
This book is full of Morrie's wonderful words, so I'm looking forward to introducing them to you.
2013年11月3日日曜日
Tuesdays with Morrie -- Week 4
Hi, everyone:) Recently I watched many interesting movies: ”Pride and Prejudice”, ”The Great Gatsby”, ”The Hobbit” and so on. Watching Western movie is one of my hobbies and it gives me various feelings. I also can practice listening comprehension!
Well, I will introduce next story of Tuesdays with Morrie.
Mitch wanted to be a pianist when he was young, but he couldn't make this dream come true, so now he works as a sports writer of Detroit Free Press. One day, Mitch watched Morrie in an interview on the TV show "Nightline" and he knew about Morrie's disease.
In the TV, Morrie was in a wheelchair full-time now, getting used to helpers lifting him like a heavy sack from the chair to the bed and the bed to the chair. He had begun to cough while eating, and chewing was a chore. His legs were dead; he would never walk again. Yet he refused to be depressed. He wrote about live with death's shadow: " Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it"; " Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others"; "Don't assume that it's too late to get involved." And he said that death should not be embarrassing.
Mitch was reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago to keep in touch with Morrie. Now stricken with ALS, Morrie does not have much time left, so he decides to meet him again.
I will update my next blog soon!
Well, I will introduce next story of Tuesdays with Morrie.
Mitch wanted to be a pianist when he was young, but he couldn't make this dream come true, so now he works as a sports writer of Detroit Free Press. One day, Mitch watched Morrie in an interview on the TV show "Nightline" and he knew about Morrie's disease.
In the TV, Morrie was in a wheelchair full-time now, getting used to helpers lifting him like a heavy sack from the chair to the bed and the bed to the chair. He had begun to cough while eating, and chewing was a chore. His legs were dead; he would never walk again. Yet he refused to be depressed. He wrote about live with death's shadow: " Accept the past as past, without denying it or discarding it"; " Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others"; "Don't assume that it's too late to get involved." And he said that death should not be embarrassing.
Mitch was reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago to keep in touch with Morrie. Now stricken with ALS, Morrie does not have much time left, so he decides to meet him again.
I will update my next blog soon!
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